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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24489112">The Path</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hestia/pseuds/Hestia'>Hestia</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Witcher headcanons and shorts [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Blood, Gen, M/M, Short Story</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:26:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,076</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24489112</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hestia/pseuds/Hestia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Geralt gets hurts badly on his way to Kaer Morhen and Jaskier tries to save him.</p><p>Part of a series but totally stand alone.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Witcher headcanons and shorts [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>98</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Path</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Update: I forgot to say there's now a prequel to this called The Cave</p><p>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25596451</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jaskier tries to carry Geralt after a creature attacks them on the way up to Kaer Morhen, right when they were coming back to settle for an early winter. The snow has been falling without a stop for two days now, early for the season.</p><p>They are three quarters up the Path when they get attacked and Geralt gets hurt badly. Even for a Witcher, it’s not something he’s going to come back from easily. Had he been on his own he thinks it would have killed him. He feels so stupid for letting his guard down, especially so near the Keep when he knows there are monsters lurking. He let himself get caught completely unaware. But Jaskier was singing and talking and smiling, god smiling so much like he couldn’t stop himself every time he told Geralt how excited he was to winter with him and finally get to meet the other Witchers. And Geralt got distracted, blinded by how genuinely happy Jaskier was. Maybe he let himself be a little happy too, for finally getting his bard to the only place he’s ever called home and introducing him to his family. He shouldn’t have. He should have been vigilant, always. But Jaskier had a way to make Geralt lose himself in the good things.</p><p>Jaskier is desperate to get Geralt to Kaer Morhen before he bleeds out from the huge gash in his abdomen and the numerous other cuts. He won’t stop no matter what. And Geralt is trying so hard not to put so much weight on Jaskier but he’s hurting so bad by now, he’s barely conscious even with the potions. His feet are not cooperating and keeps going out from under him. He knows Jaskier is stronger than he looks and can carry him for a bit, it wouldn’t be the first time, but he doesn’t want to be a burden. Not when he’s so weak he knows he won’t be able to go on without help. Not when there’s not a drop of strength left in him to protect the bard if need be. He’d rather die than put Jaskier in danger again because of his own weakness.</p><p>Jaskier has draped Geralt’s arm over his shoulder and is almost completely dragging him now, whispering words of encouragement to his Witcher and begging him quietly to not give up, not when they are so close. He can see the highest tower of the Keep in the distance already. Geralt growls from the pain every time Jaskier has to readjust his arm, he keeps slipping from his grasps.</p><p>They almost make it. They are so so close. But Jaskier finally collapses under Geralt’s weight and gets trapped under him. He’s too weak from the cold and his own wound, that Geralt hasn’t even noticed because so much of his blood was covering Jaskier.</p><p>He tries so hard to get out from under Geralt but it’s so cold and he’s so tired after dragging the Witcher halfway up the rest of the Path. He’s bleeding quite a lot himself and gradually feels the cold take him. He whispers an apology to Geralt, for being unable to go on. He’s always been able to carry Geralt before. It doesn’t happen often but when it did Jaskier was always there to catch him and drag Geralt back to their bedrolls to take care of him. He’s sorry, so so sorry for being so weak this time and not being able to save Geralt. He should have, he promised he would always look after the Witcher. But in the end, he couldn’t honour his words and failed Geralt so badly. He’s going to die and it’s Jaskier’s fault for being too weak, too human, like he always is. It’s his last thought before he falls unconscious, the snow falling heavily above them.</p><p>A few hours later Eskel and Lambert find them half-buried under the snow. They were four days behind the others but caught up to them after finding the carcass, the smell of a fresh kill overpowering everything else. It hasn’t been stripped of anything useful and that’s when it hits them something is very very wrong. Nobody but a Witcher would be up this far on the Path when it was snowing so heavily. It doesn’t take them long to understand what happened. It’s the smell of blood that gives Geralt and Jaskier away first. Eskel knows Geralt’s scent better than his own and it’s not hard following the trail of blood left in the snow, even if most of it has been covered already. He doesn’t need to see it to follow. It doesn’t take long for him to find them, the snow has turned red where they collapsed, saturated with two different blood.</p><p>Jaskier stir when a hand grabs his arm. His bright coloured doublet giving his position easily even under the snow. He looks up with difficulty at two ember eyes and a face that looks almost like Geralt’s if it wasn’t for the scars and the dark hairs. Eskel, he remembers from the description. It’s safe.</p><p>“Save him” he begs before losing consciousness again.</p><p>Eskel doesn’t need to say anything to Lambert who’s already right by his side. He grabs Geralt and turns him over, off of the bard’s back. The smell of blood is so much stronger now that Jaskier’s clothes are not socking it up. Eskel’s nose twitches instinctively in disdain. Geralt barely responds when Lambert tilts his head to force him to drink another potion. Eskel doesn’t waste any more time, he drops his sword and drapes Geralt over both his shoulders. Geral gasps from the pain and it goes right to Eskel’s core. He can’t lose his brother, not like this. The wound is so bad and it’s so cold he doesn’t think he has time to remove Geralt armour to see to the gash before his brother dies from exsanguination. He needs to bring him to Vesemir as soon as possible. He grabs his swords again but leaves his pack. He’ll recover it when he can, it doesn’t matter right now. He hates that Roach is nowhere to be seen, he knows Geralt will be devastated if something happened to her.</p><p>Lambert drags Jaskier over his left shoulder and runs after Eskel. He’s not a believer but this time he prays all the gods he knows they can make it in time to Kaer Morhen.</p>
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